Hope
by xjadedjoy
Summary: The world's dead, everything in it is dying. Why should Claire save any hope?
1. Trapped

**Pairings;** Alice / Claire, eventually. A past version of Alice / Carlos.  
><strong>Characters; <strong>K-Mart and Claire for this chapter.  
><strong>Disclaimers; <strong>The story line is the only thing that belongs to me.

**Don't you dare look out your window, darling.  
>Everything's on fire.<br>The war outside our door keeps raging on.**

* * *

><p>The rain pounded against the windows, while it made a lulling ding every now and then against the metal bars. "I can't sleep, Claire." K-Mart muttered under her breath, hoping Claire wasn't actually sleeping. "And, I love the Hummer. I really do. But, why…" Claire looked up and K-Mart perked up. "I knew it!" She yelled ecstatically, almost dramatically. "It's the rain, isn't it?" Claire raised a brow, before looking outside. K-Mart was her best friend, almost like a daughter to Claire. Claire would do anything for K-Mart… anything, but sometimes the younger woman just talked too much. No, Claire wasn't sleeping. She barely slept, her body felt like it was weakening each and every day, she was mentally and physically stressed. "Claire…" K-Mart's voice was soft, caring and it made Claire look back at the young woman. How did she do it? How did K-Mart always stay so positive, even in this world?<p>

"How do you do it?" Without her even realizing, Claire had voiced her personal thoughts. While K-Mart didn't originally have a smile on her face, the younger woman's green eyes still looked positive, but right now, they looked sad. K-Mart should never, ever look sad.

"Do what Claire?" The sentence was spoken awfully soft and slow, before K-Mart wrapped both her arms around Claire's left arm, laying her head on the older woman's shoulder. Claire breathed out, with the thought of ending the conversation she didn't want to have right then and there. She could see her own green eyes, full of despair in flashes against the window pane whenever the lightning striked. Fortunately for Claire, the young woman she found surviving in a K-Mart, just barely getting by was incredibly intelligent for an 18 year old. "I just can't ever give up, Claire. What if…" K-Mart paused. "The world is messed up, but I know I'm not alone. You're my hero, Claire. Don't ever forget that. You saved me and I owe you one, I owe you a few. What if there's a chance? There's always a chance. I feel safe with you, that's all I need." And, for once in over a month, a few months - who really knows, Claire doesn't really keep track of the days, anymore - she smiled. A small smirk curled up Claire's lips. "Alright, I'm going to try and sleep, again, Claire." The young blonde exclaimed, giving Claire a squeeze and climbing ungracefully into the back, where she curled up in the same sleeping back she was using at the K-Mart Claire found the young woman at a few months prior.

What if… it was certainly good advice. She was getting tired of surviving, though. Always on the run, always moving. Right now, they were low on gas, low on food and low on ammunition. They needed a major run. Even though the odds were less then rather slim, maybe Claire would wake up and the government would save them tomorrow because tomorrow they'd have to run into a small town to gather supplies. Claire would have to risk K-Mart's life, just so they could make their trip to Alaska.

Just to _hope_. Claire stopped praying, she tried a few times, but obviously God had a sick sense of humor. He took her brother away a few years ago. Now she has to _hope_ he isn't dead. She doesn't know where or what he is. Is that a fate worse then death? It's such a powerful feeling of loss, because that's what he is…. lost. At least she has K-Mart, bright company, someone to guide her from her own thoughts of being lost. Someone to protect.

She isn't alone in this world.

The redhead awoke with a start, her hand instantly going for the gun on the passenger seat. She raised it, pointing at where she heard the sound that awoke her. Then she realized she was pointing it at her best friend. Claire's face went from angry and frightened to feeling something more powerful then regret and that's coming from an accidental thought of shooting K-Mart. But, K-Mart was a different kind of beauty, she had a beautiful heart. While most of the trees around them in this countryside forest were dying or dead, K-Mart was trying with all her might to jump up and reach the one leaf that wasn't. Claire shook her head, opening the door to the Hummer and jumping out, stretching her arms over her head and feeling the satiable popping of bones, by the time she looked back at her younger friend, the woman finally got the leaf and was smiling at, just like it was the eighth wonder of the world. Maybe it was, it's hard to find anything that's living. Everything in this world is just… dead. There's no love, there's no beauty, there's just the will to survive and that's far from beautiful and enjoyable.

"We should get going." Claire called out, waving a pale hand towards the blonde. She ran her hands through her red locks, wishing the pony tail holder she had a few days ago didn't break. K-Mart practically skipped over, but for being a pleasant girl, Claire could ask until her voice broke, but K-Mart would never, ever give up the hair tie holding up her blonde locks. K-Mart climbed into the vehicle after Claire, opening the glove box and grabbing the last remnants of her make-up. "What are you doing, blondie?" Claire asked jokingly and mockingly. K-Mart just glared at Claire out of the corner of her eye. It's not like K-Mart actually has the opportunity to do it, they didn't have enough water last night for the luxury of brushing their teeth or washing their face, so K-Mart still has make-up on. But, that's the apocalypse for you. They're both still wearing the same clothes at the day they met. Yeah, they've been washed. They have extras, but just a few sets. So, Claire likes to use those as emergencies.

A tan/white tank top tucked into tan pants, a small tote on her side carrying ammo, a hunting knife strapped to her thigh and a gun in her belt. The pants were tucked into a pair of combat boots and she wears a green jacket when the nights get cold. Claire usually likes to keep the sunglasses on, even when it's dark. Maybe she can hide from the world. The younger blonde was a little more vibrant, but she had a small pocket in her vest that held bullets. She didn't carry a gun around, but a gun belonged to her in the backseat. A rifle, not something you'd expect from a sweetheart, but if you ever got a story about K-Mart's normal life, it was always hunting stories, with her father. Claire's positive K-Mart hated her family, though. K-Mart never speaks of them, nor of her real name. K-Mart has always just been K-Mart to Claire.

The ride into the town was short, until they just got there. The zombies were few in number and they parked the car, off road behind a set of dense trees. They both got out of the car and this time, K-Mart had her rifle. "Just watch the vehicle. If I'm not back in an hour, don't come looking for me. Just go." Claire always had a sense of leadership, but K-Mart stopped listening. There's no way K-Mart would travel to Alaska without Claire, especially if it was infection free. Claire deserved to see that world. Claire watched K-Mart climb to the top of the vehicle, the gun planted in both hands, ready to fire at any moment's notice.

"I don't have to worry, you'll be back." K-Mart spoke with pride, she had no doubt in Claire. Claire breathed out, a shotgun strapped to her back and two hands on her familiar small, black glock. She wouldn't call it luck, the smaller towns usually were more vacated. She only got attacked once and by the time she got to the small mart, she was incredibly cocky. Her hunting knife reeked of infected blood and that's from only two, but still she filled a duffel bag with cans and chips, grabbed water and headed out. Her heart was still beating out of her chest, though. She debated whether to get back to K-Mart or actually get the ammunition, but is there really time to decide. The blonde slid into an alley, the police station in view. She rounded the last corner, the problem was that there was a FEMA set up and this area was crowded with the undead. She could easily turn around. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.

The growl was soft, but it rang through her ears painfully. She turned around slowly. Her gun was still out and her reflexes were quick, the infected dog that jumped at her feel, but the gunshot echoed loud and the crowd of walking dead turned, instantly running, limping or crawling towards her. "Fuck." She mumbled, sweat instantly appearing on her forehead. She turned and headed back towards the Hummer and K-Mart… safety. Out of panic, she tripped, her hand catching on an old garbage can. It was torn and it ripped open her arm. The tear wasn't bad, but it was blood. She scrambled for the gun she dropped and ran, again.

But, between the sensitive, blood thirsty senses of smell the dead had and the noise of her gun, the numbers of dead seemed to be rising. Her gun went off a few more times and she was getting close, but a walking dead. One completely missing legs, reached a hand out from behind a car and she fell face first to the ground. When she grabbed her gun, again and scrambled to her feet. She was surrounded. Claire quickly found the quickest way to escape, her breathing heavy and her thoughts negative. Incredibly so. _I should just give up._

Claire didn't, though. She promised K-Mart she'd stand by the blonde's side. Claire circled, a walking dead dived and she shot him, a small opening appearing. Not the way to K-Mart, but she ran. The redhead yanked open a set of doors, closing and locking them behind her. The dead crashed into them, there's no way those doors would hold them. She only had a few minutes. When she noticed the gate, a false sense of hope enlightened her. She went from only having a few minutes, to a few hours. They'd get through the gates.

"Fuck." She muttered, trying to catch her breath. She felt hopeless. "I am fucked." She muttered, again before she grabbed the nearest object and threw it. The jar shattered and it wasn't until that moment she realized she was housed in a Pharmacy. She cracked her neck. Her feet didn't stay still for long, they picked up, running towards the back. She flung the back door open without thinking. When did so much dead appear? They all growled and ran towards the door, she shut and locked the door. This one thankfully metal. The redhead grabbed a bar and shoved it through the handle, keeping it shut for longer.

There were few windows, her hope was completely dwindling. She had a walkie talkie to communicate with K-Mart, she left it off to keep from large noises through the system, but turned it on. "K-Mart." Her voice was lacking all emotion, but a chill ran through her spine when the voice that came through the other line wasn't K-Mart's at all.


	2. Saved

Fortunately for Claire, she was level headed. There were zombies pounding at a metal door, shaking it's core just behind her back and in the front of the store, she could hear glass cracking. It wouldn't be long, her chest was heaving, her heart was pounding. She could either trust the stranger giving her a third way out, or be eaten alive. She'll take the chance. So, she moved her feet to a sprint, taking a leap and landing on the third bar of the ladder that led to the room. She climbed, just in time to hear the ear shattering sound of the door of he pharmacy breaking apart. There was another door that led to the back room, where she was currently fleeing but that wouldn't hold a large horde for long. There was growling and desperate moaning, starving walking dead just itching for a meal. "Fuck." She muttered, pushing at the latch on the ceiling. It obviously hasn't been opened for a while, because it just wasn't budging. Time was running out for Claire, she could hear the latch on the back door wanting to give in, but yet the latch on the ceiling wasn't going anywhere. Her arms were sore and she was on the verge of just giving up.

"If you can't get the latch open, try near the front. It won't budge, sometimes." The voice echoed around the room, mixing with the squealing of the doors wanting to break. She stopped struggling, looking down at the walkie talkie strapped to her thigh, like someone was actually standing there, her eyes wide. She closed her eyes, before actually throwing her hand up, her palm painfully hitting and pushing against the front part of the latch. It popped open and she breathed out with a sigh, scrambling up the ladder and shutting the hatch like door with a bang. Claire walked cautiously towards the edge of the building, looking down and across the town. The zombies were still trying to get into the building. The strawberry-blonde looked to where the Hummer, K-Mart and a supposed stranger was parked. They should've been hidden behind a patch of trees, but they were just at the beginning of eyebrows furrowed when she caught the stranger's eyesight. They were looking at each other and the woman looked like a warrior, standing in front of Claire's vehicle.

Now that she was out of the current predicament, her face fell. Claire wiped it of all the emotion she was feeling just a minute ago, she climbed down a fire ladder. Inching her way back out of town and when she got close to the vehicle, she raised her head high marching towards her vehicle. Just as she opened her mouth to demand who the woman was, K-Mart popped out of the passenger side.

"Claire!" She said, excitedly, looking worried. "I'm so glad you're okay." K-Mart ran towards Claire, wrapping her arms around Claire's waist and squeezing tight. Claire squeezed back, but she didn't take her eyes off the woman stranger. The stranger with light, blue eyes just stared back. K-Mart took a step back, looking between the two before rolling her eyes. "A lone zombie wandered into the set of trees, Claire." K-Mart said, slowly trying to get Claire's attention. Claire did end up looking away from the blue eyed, blonde haired, athletic and… beautiful stranger.

"You're okay?" Claire asked with worry in her eyes, laying her hands on the sides of K-Mart's face, checking for any damage. K-Mart nodded, grabbing Claire's hands and taking them off of her face before waving to the stranger.

"Yeah!" She said, laughing. "Thanks to Alice. She came just in time, then I explained you've been missing for a while and we drove up to find something… and found…" K-Mart trailed off and Claire looked up, breathing out. "Then you came over the walkie talkie and I know the only time you do that is when you're in trouble, so…"

"K-Mart, you're rambling." K-Mart breathed out, nodding. "I got it." Claire said, smiling at K-Mart before turning to Alice. "And, thanks. Really, but we should heading out, now." Alice didn't say a thing, just nodded. K-Mart let out an exasperated sigh, before actually kicking Claire in the side of the leg… and pretty hard, too. "Ow!" She shouted, glaring at K-Mart. "What was that for?" K-Mart simply pointed at Alice, who's frame was now walking away, quickly disappearing into the trees. "No. We don't know her, we can't trust her-"

"She just saved your life." K-Mart said mockingly, with just a hint of an evil smile. Claire growled out, before clearing her throat.

"Excuse me…. Alice." Claire shouted, her teeth gritting at the strangers name. It wasn't an incredibly loud shout, but Alice heard it nonetheless and turned, just her head. K-Mart grabbed Claire's hand, tugging at it and running towards Alice.

"We were thinking…" K-Mart finished, running in front of Alice. "We were headed to a place in Alaska called Arcadia, we heard there was no infection, survivors, all that good stuff. Care to join?" K-Mart nudged Claire and while Claire was being an ass, there was a thought echoing around in the back of her head, constant. Her and K-Mart weren't the only ones. She wasn't alone.

"We could use the help." Claire cut in… oh, and that too. An extra set of hands always is something that's useful. The stranger turned around, green eyes meeting blue ones. For a minute, while K-Mart looked in between the two puzzled, there was just silence both of them contemplating whether or not to go past their pride, both set of nostrils flaring in the silence.

"Alright." Alice said, softly, her voice deep. It cracked, like it hadn't been used in a while. "I heard the signals, too. It's actually where I was headed. We could combine supplies, I practically have a full tank of gas in my motorcycle. I prefer your Hummer." Claire raised a brow, looking quite proud at that fact before she stuck out her hand and Alice returned a firm handshake. K-Mart could be seen practically bouncing from joy in the background.

Without much word, both Alice and Claire agreed on the same path, they simply set out, Alice behind Claire and K-Mart on her bike, going down an eerily abandoned highway like they have been doing. This time, though, just a few hours later and Claire needed gas. She pulled off on the next exit, driving the Hummer behind some trees. Thoughts of the new stranger echoing in her mind, she couldn't deny she was happy to see another survivor, but pride was kicking her ass. She just didn't want to trust the stranger for fear of harming K-Mart, or just dying of some disease, especially the T-Virus. Neither of them needed more disappointment.

Claire got out of her Hummer, sore from sitting for awhile and from the various bruises and cuts along her arms and legs from yesterday's battle. She looked up at the oddly beautiful sunset, mocking the world's misery and breathed out. "It's getting dark. We should set up for the night." The whole sentence was directed towards K-Mart, because she forgot about Alice for a few seconds until K-Mart asked if Alice had somewhere to sleep.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Claire just nodded, no need to worry about a stranger they just met. K-Mart was already pulling out a can of food to share and Claire was already heading into the woods. A few minutes later and she had a armful of fire fuel. The fire was lit, small, so zombies wouldn't be instantly attracted. The silence around the fire was awkward, nobody really looked at each other, Claire and K-Mart just passed back and forth a can of beans. A delicacy in these days, that is until K-Mart noticed Alice not eating. Claire noticed it too, but didn't really say anything because there was a torn, old duffel bag on the back of Alice's bike. She assumed Alice had supplies.

"You need something to eat?" K-Mart asked Alice, smiling. Alice looked up from sharpening a rather large, curved knife. It looked deadly in all sorts of ways. Alice shook her head no, before resuming her task of sharpening and polishing her weapons. Claire sighed out, raising a brow. She was eating the rest of the can, so she stood up and set the can directly on the blade.

"Eat up. It's hard to survive when you have no strength." Alice looked up, smirking before nodding.

"Thanks." She mumbled, but Claire just waved her hand before pointing to the vehicle.

"I'll take first watch, K." K-Mart looked wildly pleased, before jumping into the back of the vehicle. Claire just leaned against the vehicle, her hand planted firmly on the gun. She was expecting Alice to go to sleep, but after what seemed like forever of just standing there and waiting for nothing, both of them didn't move. They barely moved a muscle. That is until Alice looked up towards the can of beans, then up to Claire. She kind of looked surprise to see someone watching her. Claire kind of looked surprise she was watching Alice. It didn't really occur to her. Claire cleared her throat, but through the silence she heard Alice pick up the can. Claire brought down her green hat over her eyes.

"Claire!" Claire's eyes popped open, it didn't take her more then a second to jump to her feet and run around the Hummer. Almost skidding to a stop. A small horde of zombie had found them and she had fallen asleep. Claire raised her gun, inner battling later, zombie slaughtering now. K-Mart was trying to scramble from a zombie, on her hands, moving backwards in a crab like crawl. The shot went straight through the zombie's mindless skull and it fell limp. "Alice…" K-Mart panted, pointing deeper into the woods and Claire sprinted, K-Mart scrambling to her feet to follow.

Two zombies were heading for Alice's direction, both of them raving beasts. Claire raised her gun, but she didn't even need to fire a shot. In fact, her jaw dropped and eyes widened. K-Mart mouthed a wow from beside her, the exact thoughts running through Claire's own mind. Alice almost seem to propel into the sky, like a rocket before spinning, those large knife slicing right into the skulls of both zombies. The zombies plummeted to the ground, body parts scattering, while Alice gracefully landed on both feet.

"Whoa!" K-Mart shouted while Claire just continued to glare. "I never thought anyone actually knew how to use Kukri knive." K-Mart laughed. "Awesome." Claire turned her head, raising a brow, a puzzled look on her face.

"I didn't know someone actually knew what these were." Alice retorted, placing them back into their holsters.

"You should show me how to use…" Claire's clearing of her throat was loud, interrupting the rest of K-Mart's sentence. Not in a million years would that happen. She promised K-Mart, Claire would show her how to protect herself. That's it. K-Mart was the one ounce of innocence left in this world, that doesn't need to change.

"We should get going. I'll go look on the map for a town nearby to get some gas." Alice looked up at Claire, just before Claire turned on her heel and marched away. Claire didn't even get to hear Alice tell K-Mart… quietly, of course. Just like Alice knew Claire was trying to protect K-Mart's innocence that Alice would teach K-Mart when they get a chance.


End file.
